C　　WElComE to my MEssAgEBoArD!SuBjECt: Slimming Down ClAssiCs Mr.　　HAnDsomE　　2007512　　6∶34AMOrionBooks, whiCh DECiDEs thErE is A mArkEt in CrEAting CutDown ClAssiCs (经典著作), is slimming Down somE novEls By suCh grEAt writErs As L. Tolstoy, M. MitChEll AnDC、BrontE. Now, EACh oF thEm hAs BEEn whittlED Down to ABout 400 pAgEs By Cutting 30 to 40 pAgEs pErCEnt oF originAl, with worDs, sEntEnCEs, pArAgrAphs AnD, in A FEw CAsEs, ChAptErs rEmovE
D、ThE First six shortEnED EDitions, All priCED At ￡6.99 AnD ADvErtisED As grEAt rEADs "in hAlF thE timE", will go on sAlE nExt month, with plAns For 50 to 100 morE to Follow. ThE puBlishing housE BEliEvEs thAt moDErn rEADErs will wElComE thE shortEr vErsions. Mr.　　EDwArDs　　2007512　　9∶40AMWEll, Im thE puBlishEr oF Orion Group. ThAnks For your AttEntion, Mr. HAnDsomE.　　I must sAy, thE iDEA DEvElopED From A gAmE oF "shAmE" in my oFFiCE.EACh oF us wAs rEquirED to ConFEss (承认) to thE most EmBArrAssing BlAnks in his or hEr rEADing. I ADmittED thAt I hAD nEvEr rEADAnnA KArEninA AnD triED But FAilED to gEt through GonE with thE WinD sEvErAl timEs. OnE oF my CollEAguEs ACknowlEDgED skipping (跳读) JAnEEyrE. WE rEAlizED thAt liFE is too short to rEAD All thE Books you wAnt to AnD wE nEvEr wErE going to rEAD thEsE onEs.　　As A lEADing puBlishing housE, wE ArE trying to mAkE ClAssiCs ConvEniEnt For rEADErs But its not As iF wErE withDrAwing thE originAl vErsions. ThEy ArE still thErE iF you wAnt to rEAD thEm.Ms.　　WEir　　2007512　　11∶35AMIm thE DirECtor oF thE onlinE Book CluB http://www.lovErEADing.Co.uk/　　Mr.EDwArDs, I think your shortEnED EDitions is A BrEAth oF FrEsh Air. Im guilty oF nEvEr hAving rEADAnnA KArEninA, BECAusE its just so long. ID muCh rAthEr rEAD two 300pAgE Books thAn onE 600pAgE Book. I Am looking ForwArD to morE shortEnED ClAssiCs!Mr.　　CroCkAtt　　2007512　　4∶38 PMIm From thE LonDon inDEpEnDEnt BookshopCorCkAtt & PowEll.　　In my opinion, thE prACtiCE is ComplEtEly riDiCulous. How CAn you EDit thE ClAssiCs Im AFrAiD rEADing somE oF thEsE Books is hArD work, AnD thAt is why you hAvE to DEvElop As A rEADEr. IF pEoplE Dont hAvE timE to rEADAnnA KArEninA, thEn FinE.But Dont rEAD A shortEnED vErsion AnD kiD yoursElF its thE rEAl thing. By DEsCriBing thE shortEnED ClAssiCs As "A BrEAth oF FrEsh Air", Ms. WEir .
A、spEAks highly oF thE CutDown ClAssiCs
B．shows hEr lovE For originAl ClAssiCs
C． FEEls guilty oF not rEADing thE ClAssiCs
D、DisApprovEs oF shortEning thE ClAssiCs